1. Field
The following description relates generally to wireless network communications, and more particularly to relay node communications.
2. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as, for example, voice, data, and so on. Typical wireless communication systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). Examples of such multiple-access systems may include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and the like. Additionally, the systems can conform to specifications such as third generation partnership project (3GPP) (e.g., 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution)/LTE-Advanced), ultra mobile broadband (UMB), evolution data optimized (EV-DO), etc.
Generally, wireless multiple-access communication systems may simultaneously support communication for multiple mobile user equipment (UE). Each UE may communicate with one or more evolved Node B (eNB) via transmissions on forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from eNB to UE, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from UE to eNB. Further, communications between UE and eNB may be established via single-input single-output (SISO) systems, multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, and so forth.
In addition, carriers for communicating with one or more eNBs can be aggregated at a UE to provide increased throughput, additional functionality over the carriers, and/or the like. Moreover, a UE can communicate with the one or more eNBs through one or more relay nodes, which communicate with the one or more eNBs over a backhaul link. Relay nodes, for example, can extend coverage of the one or more base stations, increase throughput for communicating with the one or more base stations, etc. by virtue of retransmitting signals to/from the one or more eNBs. For example, a relay can operate in a half duplex mode where the relay can either receive or retransmit (but not both) in a given period of time, or in a full duplex mode where the relay can receive and retransmit at any given time.